Dip In Weekly Jobless Claims Seen As Sign Of Better Times Ahead

As the weather warms, will more signs such as this pop up? Economists say the latest data on claims for unemployment benefits may signal that better times are ahead.

Eric Gay
/ AP

Originally published on February 20, 2014 10:37 am

There were only 3,000 fewer first-time claims filed for jobless benefits last week, but the slight decline is being seen as another sign that the nation's labor market will gain some strength once spring arrives.

That means the pace of claims is still running about where it's been since late 2011.

But here's how the latest news is being interpreted:

-- It's "a sign employers [were] holding the line on firings even as cold weather slowed industries from manufacturing to housing," Bloomberg News says. What's more, "a slowdown in dismissals could lay the groundwork for a pickup in hiring, and more jobs could translate to a boost in consumer spending," which in turn could help give an even further lift to employment.